Page 55 of Blood and Thorns (Twisted Ever After #1)

Sebastian

I watched as Ryder glanced around my office, his brows raised. “Fuck me, this place is nice. How do I get a membership to this Thorn then?”

“You don’t.”

“Rude,” he chuckled. “But at least I get to meet you with the mask. I get to tell all my friends that I survived a meeting with the notorious Beast. Maybe they’ll buy me a few drinks.”

“You don’t have friends,” Caden muttered, leaning against the door directly behind him. Langdon silently laughed beside him.

Ryder’s smile tightened, and he leaned back so he could look over at Cade. “And who the fuck are you again?”

“Do you have what I asked?” I silently glared at Cade to shut the fuck up. My cousin wrinkled his nose but continued to stand in position.

“Of course, and early, might I add.” Reaching into his pocket, Ryder pulled out a piece of fabric, carefully unwrapping to reveal the brooch I’d asked for.

At this point I wasn’t surprised to see it, not when a few more explosives had been found in my other distributions.

Venues Miles didn’t even know existed, which meant there was another snake.

“Do you have the address?” I asked.

“No, I snagged that while the woman in the photograph was out on a morning stroll. She’s pretty hot for someone old, by the way. I’d totally fuck her.”

“Careful,” Caden growled.

“What, she your mum or something?” Ryder grinned, clearly trying to piss Cade off. “I’ll call her a MILF if you’d prefer?”

Langdon took a threatening step forward, only stopped by Caden’s hand on his shoulder.

“Mr Finn…” I clenched my teeth to stop from crushing his head against my desk. “Where did you find her? I need an address.”

He shrugged. “What am I, an estate agent? You never asked for an address, just for the brooch. I tracked it to somewhere in France. Bordeaux, or however you fucking say it.” He lounged back in his chair, swinging his arm out to hook over the back. “So, I think it’s time we discussed my money.”

“It’s already been wired over,” Caden said, his hands moving suspiciously closer to his gun.

“There’s more if you get me the address,” I said. “Double.”

Ryder whistled, his cheeks dimpling as his grin widened. “Double you say, for just an address?”

“It’ll need to be verified, of course,” Caden added. “Including photographic evidence before we release you any more money. You know, in case you try and fuck us over.”

“You’re super untrusting. Has anyone ever told you that?

” Ryder chuckled. “But I’m interested. 100k for an address?

Easy, I’ll have it with you in the next few days.

” Ryder stood, his finger brushing against the diamonds of the brooch.

“Pleasure doing business with you, Mr Beast.” He winked at Caden as he left, my cousin stiffening.

“You want to tell us what that’s about?” Langdon signed.

Caden shook his head. “Ryder’s famous for sticking his dick in places it shouldn’t be.”

“Hmm.” I glanced down at the brooch, the diamonds still as bright as I remembered. Picking it up, I felt the weight, turning it over to touch the engraving.

Langdon appeared over my shoulder, stiffening a little before signing out the words for me.

A ma Margot, de ton amour, Mael.

To my Margot, from your love, Mael.

I threw it across the room, the brooch breaking into several pieces as it hit against the wall with an audible crack.

“Bas?”

“My father bought two identical brooches.” One for my mother, and one for her .

Caden went to pick up the pieces, reading the back for himself. “What a cunt.”

“Fuck.” I dragged a hand down my face. “Margot’s been silent for almost two decades, so why now?”

Langdon took the brooch from Caden, barely glancing at it before tossing it onto my desk. “Maybe it’s taken this long to infiltrate us?” he signed. “Miles was just a meathead. She’d have needed to find someone else who’d betray us and actually knew something important.”

I leaned back, the chair squeaking beneath my weight. “Someone’s sold us out. Someone important enough to know exactly where we store and distribute the powder.”

Langdon managed a frustrated rasp in agreement, his hands reflecting his agitation. “Our priority should be to find Miles.”

Caden nodded, reaching into his pocket for his phone. “What the fuck? You expecting anything, Bas?”

I went to reply when a ring pierced the air. I answered on loudspeaker.

“Beast, my friend,” Hook’s obnoxious voice echoed in the air. “I heard you’ve been having some… technical problems . I hope that that pretty girl of yours is okay?”

I looked up at Langdon, whose expression had blackened at the mention of Arabella being hurt at his fight.

How the fuck did he–

“And before you get pissy, I can easily explain how I already know,” he mused, clearly enjoying knowing this little bit of information. “Although, it would be easier to show you.”

“Get to the point,” I snapped.

“I’m sending a gift. Make sure you accept the package.” With that he hung up, and Caden turned his mobile to show me the CCTV of someone dressed like a fucking pirate–fake parrot and all–leaving a box just outside The Thorn .

“You scan it yet?” Caden asked, arms folded as he frowned at the large cardboard box tied with a giant red bow.

“It’s clean of any metal,” Richard, one of the team members assigned to T, said. “If you’re not in a rush, I’d advise that we take it back to the lab to test for toxins.”

He’d been called in specifically because he dealt with the security of the shipments coming in.

Which literally meant he made sure they were safe before they were taken inside the container.

He was the one that found the other explosives, securing them safely before they could destroy anything else.

Langdon picked up the card poking out from the bow, finding a handwritten note. He laughed, throwing his head back silently before passing it to Caden, who began to read the note aloud.

“Found this slimy fuck trying to kill me. He was very talkative when I placed a terrapin on his balls.”

Click, snap, click . Lang flicked at his lighter, his eyes alight like the flames as he waited for Caden to continue.

“He was one of the Enchantress’s bitches, so thought you’d appreciate his head considering he was supposed to be one of yours,” Caden continued as I opened the box.

Reaching inside I grabbed a fistful of hair, pulling it out to find it was Miles. I dropped it with disgust. “What else does it say?” I asked.

“He told me what happened with Arabella, so I made sure it hurt before I took his head. You’re welcome, love Hook. Kiss, kiss, kiss.” Caden crushed the note in his palm. “Seriously, the guy’s missing some marbles.”

“There goes our lead,” I grunted, watching as Langdon kicked the head. Richard flinched as it rolled with a squelch, while the twins who stood guarding the door didn’t even blink. They’d probably seen worse in their careers. “I think it’s time we called everyone in for a meeting.”

Langdon frowned. “You think the traitor could be one of them?”

Caden sighed. “Miles was with us for what… a decade? It could be anyone.”

“Exactly,” I said. “So we’d better be careful how we approach this. Wouldn’t want the snake to escape before we cut off its head.”